"But the bottom line is that given the number of smokers, and the number of cases of heart disease, lung disease, liver and kidney disease, lip, throat and mouth diseases; there is a link."
Really? Then riddle me this, batman, why does Japan have the lowest per capita lung and heart disease instance, yet they have the highest per capita smoking population?
How many cigarettes will one have to smoke to contract emphasyma, heart disease, lung cancer, etc? What is the dose of tobacco smoke that causes specific diseases?
Why has the lung cancer, heart disease and emphasyma rates continued to climb, while the smoking population has been cut by 50%? Why has cases of asthma and allergies in children skyrocketed while their exposure to SHS has been reduced to just about 0%?
Using your "there is a link" statement and the above FACTS, I would suggest your link is a negative link. Based on your logic, I think we better mandate smoking and exposure to SHS to get these diseases back to a managable level.
Way to go,CSM. You always hit the nail right on the head,but your comments will fall on the gnatzi's deaf ears(Maybe non-smoking cuses deafness?)
Sure, here's the answer to your riddle. Each culture has it's unique set of circumstances, climate, diet and lifestyles. Why do Blacks get Sikle Cell Anemia? Or, you could ask yourself why Japan has a 12x increase in Liver Cancer.
Link
It is no mystery that cigarettes contain far more than tobacco. Perhaps Japan has laws limiting the amount of toxic substances that the US Tobacco companies ADD to your cigarettes to make the Nicotine more addictive. This list is NOT found in natural tobacco; it is added to the cigarette intentionally, and contains the following:
Acetone - A flammable, colorless liquid used as a solvent. It's one of the active ingredients in nail polish remover. The tobacco industry refuses to say how acetone gets into cigarettes.
Ammonia - A colorless, pungent gas. The tobacco industry says that it adds flavor, but scientists have discovered that ammonia helps you absorb more nicotine - keeping you hooked on smoking.
Arsenic - A silvery-white very poisonous chemical element. This deadly poison is used to make insecticides, and it is also used to kill gophers and rats.
Benzene - A flammable liquid obtained from coal tar and used as a solvent. This cancer-causing chemical is used to make everything from pesticides to detergent to gasoline.
Benzoapyrene - A yellow crystalline carcinogenic hydrocarbon found in coal tar and cigarette smoke. It's one of the most potent cancer-causing chemicals in the world.
Butane - A hydrocarbon used as a fuel. Highly flammable butane is one of the key ingredients in gasoline.
Cadmium - A metallic chemical element used in alloys. This toxic metal causes damage to the liver, kidneys, and the brain; and stays in your body for years.
Formaldehyde - A colorless pungent gas used in solution as a disinfectant and preservative. It causes cancer; damages your lungs, skin and digestive system. Embalmers use it to preserve dead bodies.
Lead - A heavy bluish-gray metallic chemical element. This toxic heavy metal causes lead poisoning, which stunts your growth, and damages your brain. It can easily kill you.
Propylene Glycol - A sweet hygroscopic viscous liquid used as antifreeze and as a solvent in brake fluid. The tobacco industry claims they add it to keep cheap "reconstituted tobacco" from drying out, but scientists say it aids in the delivery of nicotine (tobaccos active drug) to the brain.
Turpentine - A colorless volatile oil. Turpentine is very toxic and is commonly used as a paint thinner.
These chemicals are added for one purpose and one purpose only. These chemicals are designed to convert the cigarette into a Nicotine Delivery unit. The amount of nicotine is regulated; however the intent is to make the nicotine highly REACTIVE, so you get a bigger buzz from a smaller amount of nicotine. Unfortunately, to do this they add some really nasty toxins to their product.